Canes Warning
Fansided

Miami and Jai Lucas make top eight teams for 5-star point guard

Five-star point guard Taylen Kinney trimmed his list to eight schools and Miami made the cut.
ByPatrick Previty|
Taylen Kinney (0) stands on the court during an AAU basketball game July 4, 2023, at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. A Newport native, Kinney is a Class of 2026 recruit and holds a scholarship offer to play at Louisville.
Taylen Kinney (0) stands on the court during an AAU basketball game July 4, 2023, at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. A Newport native, Kinney is a Class of 2026 recruit and holds a scholarship offer to play at Louisville. | Brooks Holton / USA TODAY NETWORK

Five-star point guard Taylen Kinney trimmed his list to eight schools and Miami made the cut, with an official visit to Coral Gables set for Sept. 19–21. The Overtime Elite (RWE) floor general is also scheduling (or has completed) officials with Indiana (Aug. 29–31), Oregon (Sept. 6), Texas (Sept. 12) and Arkansas (Sept. 26), after earlier trips to Kentucky and Louisville.

Kinney’s final eight is Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Oregon and Texas. Notably, Auburn, Purdue, Tennessee and Xavier were cut from his July top-12.

A Newport native who transferred into Overtime Elite last year, Kinney is regarded as one of the premier lead guards in the 2026 class. 247Sports currently lists the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder as a five-star and the No. 1 point guard nationally in its Composite, with On3’s industry metric placing him firmly in the top 15.

Playing for RWE in 2024–25, Kinney averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds. He also earned NBPA Top 100 Camp First-Team honors this summer after averaging 22 points, 5 rebounds and 6.3 assists and shooting efficiently from the field and from three. Running with Wildcat Select, Kinney earned adidas 3SSB Session II Offensive MVP (listed at 25.3 PPG) and also logged a steady 3SSB session line around 20 PPG, 4 RPG, 4 APG across events.

Kinney is a multi-level scorer with a tight handle and advanced pull-up game. He has the occasional streakiness from three, but his comfort shooting off the dribble and off movement fits modern guard usage. Physically, added strength is the next developmental box as he transitions from OTE to college. He can be a primary creator if the jumper levels up at the next level.

Kinney’s September swing (Oregon–Texas–Miami–Arkansas) sets up a competitive fall race. Securing a return trip would signal Miami’s staying power as decisions approach later in the cycle.

Home/Miami Hurricanes Basketball Recruiting